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Browsing by Subject "technical writing"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Fertile Grounds in Technical and Professional Communication: Identity, Legitimacy, Power, and Workplace Practice
    (2021-06) Rosselot-Merritt, Jeremy
    This dissertation is about the nature and value of technical and professional communication (TPC) as a field of workplace practice, particularly about how perceptions of TPC among those outside the field can influence the perceived legitimacy of the field more broadly and what implications those perceptions can offer on practical, scholarly, pedagogical and programmatic levels. The dissertation is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 deals with how TPC has been characterized in academic literature over the years and how a disconnect between academic theory and workplace practice has evolved into the present. Chapter 1 also introduces four constructs—competencies, professional identity, legitimacy, and power—that become a basis for a practical model of TPC in this dissertation. Chapter 2 deals with three concepts from other disciplines that are useful in conceptualizing and studying workplaces in TPC scholarship. Next, chapter 3 begins with the practical framework for TPC and then proceeds to discuss a rhetorical basis for studying workplace phenomena in TPC and an empirical study methodology for studying extradisciplinary perceptions (those held by non-TPC professionals) of TPC. That methodology is based upon a modified grounded theory approach using semi-structured interviews and two-cycle qualitative coding. Chapter 4 presents detailed findings from the empirical study. Findings include the results of 31 interviews and eight patterns developed from analysis of interview data. Limitations of the study are discussed. Chapter 5 provides a detailed discussion of implications of empirical findings for practice, research, pedagogy and programs (both praxis-focused and academic research-focused) as well as thoughts for future consideration in scholarship.
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    A Guidebook for Technical Communicators in Agile Scrum Environments
    (2020) Krstic, Danijela
    Research problem: The lack of understanding and industry consensus on the role of technical communicators in the agile scrum environment. In this study, I completed a literature review of the agile scrum framework and a technical writer’s current challenges working within it. I conducted interviews with 10 employees at Sovos, a computer software company, and coded their responses to determine how technical writers currently work within agile scrum, what is working well, and what isn’t. I used the findings of this study to develop a guidebook for technical communicators working in agile scrum environments. It can be found in the Appendix of this paper.
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    The Role of the Technical Communicator in the Corporate eLearning Industry
    (2020-05-05) Arnquist, Marissa, D
    Technical communicators bring myriad skills to professional roles, including textual and visual content creation, content organization, content strategy, technology proficiency, and user analysis. These skills are well-matched for roles in elearning, strategizing and creating instructional content for online consumption. Through literature review, informational interviews, and job posts analysis, the correlation between a technical communicator’s skills and the skills needed to be successful in elearning becomes clear. This research elucidates the opportunities for technical communicators in the corporate elearning industry and offers an introductory guide into exploring a career in the industry.
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    A Technical Communicator’s Role in the Future of Emerging Technologies
    (2020) Blissenbach, Rachel
    This research explores the roles, responsibilities, and duties of a technical communicator across varying fields involved with emerging technologies. The purpose of this study was to become more informed about how a technical communicator’s career will change and evolve over the next few years. To find this out, I interviewed 10 people who currently serve as either a technical communicator, someone who works with emerging technologies, or both. Interviews lasted anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes and were conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing software. Those interviewed included two technical writers at a medical device company, one freelancer, one 3D printing engineer, one augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) specialist, one university professor, two technical writers at software companies, one technical writer from a fitness equipment company, and one physician with a background in medical devices and engineering. Interviewees answered a series of 15 questions regarding technical communication, emerging technology, current and past job duties, software programs, and smart devices. Answers were collected and results were examined to provide an educated guess as to what the career of a technical communicator using emerging technologies like smart devices, 3D printers, or AR/VR will look like in the near future.